Virtual reality (VR) technology is a useful technology that has applications in many and various fields. VR systems provide a virtual environment into which a user may be immersed, or semi-immersed. The virtual environment may be presented to the user in such a way that the virtual environment supersedes the real-world environment, thereby creating a suspension of disbelief and convincing the user's brain to experience the virtual environment as real, wherever/whatever that virtual environment may be. Some VR systems allow the user to interact with the virtual environment, or with particular objects within the virtual environment. As such, VR technologies have a plethora of applications, especially in situations in which a user interaction with a virtual environment that may mimic interactions within a real-world environment may be beneficial.
For example, one application of VR technologies is in gaming. In gaming, a player may be immersed, or semi-immersed into the VR game environment, and may be allowed to interact with objects within the VR game environment. In that sense, the user may experience the VR game environment as real. Another application of VR technologies is in military simulations. VR systems may be used to train soldiers before the soldiers are deployed in the real-world. The virtual simulations provided by the VR systems allow soldiers, and teams of soldiers, to practice performing tasks, and working together, in simulated environments before they have to use real-world equipment.
Another application of VR technologies is in mental health, such as in exposure therapy. In virtual therapy, a patient may be immersed, or semi-immersed, into a virtual environment and may navigate the virtual environment, interacting with harmless virtual representations of traumatic stimuli in order to reduce fear responses. In other applications, virtual therapy may be used to treat patients with limited motor function control. In this case, physical therapy may be aided by VR systems in which a patient is immersed, or semi-immersed into a virtual reality environment and required to perform activities interacting with the virtual environment. For example, the patient may be presented with a VR game, or some other VR activity, that requires exercising the affected muscle, or muscle groups. In this manner, physical therapy exercises can be performed while the patient experiences those exercises as some activity in the virtual world.
One of the benefits of VR technologies is that the immersive virtual environment may be designed to capture the attention of the user. For example, a patient with a whiplash injury may be required, as part of physical therapy, to perform neck exercises such as looking up. The repetitive nature of the exercise may discourage most patients, and it has been found that most physical therapy patients do not persist in doing the required exercises precisely because the exercises are repetitive, boring, and discouraging. It is also noted that, even for non-injured people, regular workouts are not part of their lifestyle because the workout exercises can be repetitive and discouraging. However, in a virtual environment, the exercises can be “hidden” as part of a game, or some other fun activity. In this way, a patient may be encouraged to interact with the virtual environment in such a way that the interaction requires performing the required exercises, but with the patient experiencing the activity as part of the virtual environment. For example, a whiplash patient in a virtual environment may play a game catching falling bubbles, which would require the patient to look up as the bubbles fall. In the next session, a different VR game may be played. Thus, in this manner, the patient would be performing the required exercises in a fun way and will be encouraged to persist.
However, these existing VR systems have no mechanisms or functionality to address the challenges when a user with limitation that may prevent or limit the user from interacting with the virtual environment, or from completing tasks in virtual therapy. As such, the user's inability to perform the task may discourage the user from continuing with the task and thus, may have a counterproductive effect and the user may not appreciate or receive the benefits of the virtual therapy. In some cases, the user may become discouraged and may not continue the virtual therapy at all. In other cases, the virtual therapy activities may be such that performing the activities may cause discomfort or harm to the user with limited flexion and/or mobility.